18 keep looking forward to it all day, and then we go, and I think we're having a swell time, and you know damn well I'd rather be out with you than any- body in the world, and then there's always something I've done or some- thing I haven't done, and then there's always this stuff on the way home. Good God!" "Well, you'll be spared it in future, d " h . d " y d ' my ear, s e sal . ou on t ever have to see me again. That's what you want, isn't it? I'll keep out of your way-you don't have to trouble about that. Of course, there are people that might think of all the time 1'd given them, when I'd never even looked at anyone else, but don't think about that. Everything is perfectly fine for you now. You can go right ahead and have a glorious time with the little Cronin girl, every night. Go singing with her, or whatever else you want to do. If that's what you want." "0 h, shut your face!" he said. " L " b . 1 f " h Isten to me, you Ig ouse. s e said. "Please remember who you're talking to. Whom. You're not with the little Cronin girl now, you know. It just so happens that you're with somebody who happens to have a little sensitiveness, God help her, and a little breeding and a few depths, instead of a hard, ordinary little rat that you'd much rather be out singing with than-" "Oh, nuts!" he said. The girl swung her left arm back and struck him across the mouth with the back of her hand. As If by a reflex, his right hand sprang up, and its palm slapped her face, hard. T HERE was silence. After a while, there was a little shutHing sound, as the young man left his wall and edged along the seat toward the girl. Slowly and timidly he put his arms around her, and she could feel them tremble. If she had been look- ing, the streaks of light from the street lamps would have shown her the concern in his large and handsome face. "Ah, I'm so sorry, Marjie," he said. "I'm so sorry. Gee, I-I never dId a thing like that before in my life." "I didn't, either," she said, and her . b k " I ' , VOIce was ro en. -It wasn t very nice. I won't ever do a thing like that . " agaIn. "I won't, either," he said. "1-1 can be different, Marjie. Honestly 1 can. If-well, if you'd ever see me again, maybe I could show you." "I can be different, too," she said. "I guess." After a minute she raised her face from his shoulder. "But you see," she said, "it really was awful for me tonight. And Tues- day night. And all the nights. All you want to do is sing. But-well, you see, 1 wanted to sing, too. And you never asked me." "But, baby, it never occurred to me," he said. "I thought you'd know that whatever I was doing, I'd want you there, too. And I never knew you liked to sing." "I love it," she said. "I love it, too," he said. "I know all the words, too," she said. "Why, of course you do," he said. "You see," she said, "I don't mind you singing. Or even who you sing with. Whom you sing with. It's just the feeling of being left out of things. Anybody hates that. You would, too. I guess that's what's made me this way on the way home, every time." "But I never knew you liked to . " h . d sIng, e sal . "Well, you know now," she said. "And maybe some time we could work up some other songs. I counted tonight, on account of not having anything else to do, and 'Lord Jeffrey Amherst' was thirteen times, and 'The Cais- sons Go Rolling Along' was eight." " :.1\ -."::< , l) "' tlf ..:-".' :.. ... -) '..:( .r . "; '? r". :.: . : ' :::I tl ;,.,:'" ........ .. . ." }:::::. " ." '., , :" ::';' ,: - f: . ". / (::. ::;. . . '", .... .... I ..', . ," ",' . . -', . . ..... ,,;;., ",:,. : .i ,::t.".,.:w<Y: ,..:-:. ' ;:\ Ù"\;í ,;: 'i}iÞ: ø< ;;>< .:. ,u.. ::'iI" . . . -, .. .. .. --. . . . . . . . . t1. . .., :: . . : -. : ) "It must have been great for you!" he said. "r\nd she didn't have the words of 'The Caissons' right, either," she said. ."She had them all bugged up." "Really?" he said. "Why, that's terrible. Why, that's awfuL Why, the dumb little cluck. And what a good song, too. That's one of the best songs in the world, that's what that is. "Da da da, da da da, Da da dum de da da da, The caissons go rolling along-" "No, listen," she said. "I know all the words. Listen. "Over hill, over dale, All along the dusty trail, The caissons go rolling along. In and out, round about, Hear them something, hear them shout, And the caissons go rolling along." "Oh, yes, sure," he said. "That's the right way. Ah, Marjie, you've got a good voice." And he added his music to hers. "Then it's hi, hi, hee, the field ar-till-er- ee, Lift up your voices loud and strong, Where' er you go, you will always kno,,? That the caissons are rolling along- K ep 'em rolling- The caissons are-" There was harmony in the taxicab. -DOROTHY PARKER . ".:?'Ä;, ",,):i", )(=:.;<, . . / :\ !:. - , ": " ', :::,:." . . \ . \.:&I6', u ' , '. :{..\::,<" ;,...: :1 . \ :.: " >:.,. ."': . .:' >:': .:'3>; . J, N :.:;/::.<". ; ';': !, :', ': \ ;,.. ,::!.tz>u, ,u.' 'li\ : ;;1f / . .,Î ,; <... . '\ .. ,'::J \l,;jtYj't' 1' ...:' < if" .;,4 ,::. :?\: '" . . .:.:..: ::::::: ; :ii. f ; . ::::; ; '-:J' .... :;:. }. : ::.: / .:..-..... #' < .. ..,.. ;v.... :::! .. # /' .... : :.:.; i::: . . . m(:. ;'-..:: .' '" ; ..: : ',f. :i { ..'-:.:. #:; : ':J "T17 atch your car, Mister?"